Benjamin Mitchley is an internationally renowned fine artist, born on 1 January 1967 in the Free State, South Africa. He matriculated from Welkom High School in 1984 and studied fine arts from 1985 to 1987 at the Vaal University of Technology and Tshwane University of Technology. He is a full-time freelance fine artist, scenic artist, illustrator, 2D digital animator, poet and writer. He does commissions and collaboration in fine art painting, scenic painting, illustration, and 2D digital animation. Since 2003 he exhibited his work in South Africa, and in the same year received his first international exposure with the help of South African Artists online gallery. He had his first international art exhibition in Munich and Hof, in Germany during 2005 and 2006. Since then he gained support from several buyers in Europe, America and South Africa. He furthered his scenic experience while working in Dubai on the IBN Battuta shopping mall during 2004 and 2006, a sculpture project for the Dubai Municipality horse museum in 2007 and a mural painting project at the Dubai IMG Worlds of Adventure indoor theme park in 2016. In Johannesburg, he worked on a scenic project during the first phase of Monte Casino's East-End Teatro in 2007 and created backdrops for television adverts at Golden Island Studios in 2013. Since 2010, as a self-taught animator, he received contract work to create a short film for an SABC documentary and several animation collaboration projects for corporation info-graphics. In 2013 he received a first-place award by the Iheed institute for a medical animation competition. Poetry and writing developed from his fine art, illustration and animation creations, in the form of webcomics, animated poems and illustrated poetry eBooks. His search for new ideas and experimentation with new techniques, styles and media is ongoing.

My Work ProcessPainting: With a pencil, I draw onto the canvas the outline of the image from which I am working. I start filling the canvas with paint medium until all areas of the canvas is completely covered. Once dry, I continue to add layers of paint medium until I've achieved the desired detail. A few months after drying, l will add a mixture of damar varnish on oil paintings as a protective layer. It brings out the richness in the colour. A similar acrylic medium is applied to acrylic paintings for the same reason. Reference images used for my paintings are from my own photographs taken in my surroundings.

Digital Artwork:I create my digital artwork using design and art software such as Affinity Designer, Affinity Photo, Clip Studio Paint EX, Krita, Artrage and Mypaint. I use a digital pen and a 22-U-mini Bosto intuitive monitor to create on. It mimics the feeling of creating a traditional artwork, whether it be drawing or painting. I consider the creative input, the hours spent and costs on this type of work similar to that of a traditional media.

Animation: I create my animation using digital animation software (Moho Pro, Harmony Advanced, Toon Boom Animate, Toon Boom Studio, Clip Studio Paint EX, Krita and Open Toonz). The style of work depends on what I and the client would like to achieve. My main style of work is 2D cut-out and 2D digital animation. For a 2D cut-out style, I would photograph and scan the artwork into photo editing software and create layers by cutting out each moving part. In the animation software these parts are given bones, and sometimes a mesh warp, to help them achieve the movement I would like to see. Sometimes I create an animation before a script evolves. I would see a moving image in my imagination, create it and build a story around it.